Catholics across the New England are celebrating the appointment of Fr. Michael Kennedy as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Armidale.
He will replace Bishop Luc Matthys who submitted his letter of retirement when he turned 75 in May 2010 and who anticipated the Pope would accept it about 18 months later.
In what some have described as a surprise appointment and others as bold, Fr. Kennedy who is 43, will bring a youthful exuberance and enthusiasm to his new role.
Ordained for the Diocese of Wagga Wagga in southern New South Wales, Fr. Kennedy is currently the Parish Priest of Leeton in that Diocese. He is also the Vicar Forane (Dean) of the Murrumbidgee Deanery.
Bishop Gerard Hanna of Wagga Wagga, who hails from Armidale, said he was delighted that one of his senior priests had been appointed and wished him every success in his new ministry.
“Over the last 13 years he has shown a very balanced approach to his pastoral ministry in this Diocese and I believe that he is well suited to his new role of leadership as the Bishop of the Diocese of Armidale”, said Bishop Hanna.
The youngest of nine children, Michael Kennedy was born in Wagga Wagga in May 1968, and was raised at the nearby suburb of San Isidore. After completing his secondary schooling he trained to be a teacher and taught in Xavier Catholic High School in Albury.
He began his priestly formation at Vianney College in Wagga Wagga and completed his studies in Rome at Propaganda Fide, obtaining a Licentiate in Sacred Theology.
Fr. Kennedy was ordained for the Diocese of Wagga Wagga on August 14, 1999.
In the course of his ministry in the Wagga Wagga Diocese, Fr. Kennedy was the assistant priest in Griffith (1999-2000); Rector of St Francis’ Residential College at Charles Sturt University (2001-2003); assistant priest in Albury (2004-2006); and has been the Parish Priest of Leeton since 2007.
He has also been a lecturer in Moral Theology and Church History at Vianney College.
His other work in the diocese includes being the Vocations Director, a Diocesan Consultor, and a member of the Council of Priests and a member of the Catholic Schools Commission. He achieved prominence as the National Chairman of the influential Australian Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, from 2005 to 2009.
“My only visit to Armidale was in September 2009 for the funeral of Bishop Hanna’s mother,” said Fr. Kennedy.
“I was very impressed with the city when I was there, it was very beautiful and well kept. The centre of town appears to be quite an historic area, I love that sort of environment and think it creates a great atmosphere in the city.
His Episcopal Ordination will be in Armidale in the first or second week of February 2012. He will be in Armidale this week to meet with Bishop Matthys to start planning this ceremony.
As soon as he settles in, the new Bishop is hoping to get out into the community to meet as many people as he can.
“The first thing I need to do is meet and get to know the Priests of the Armidale Diocese. They will be my very first cooperators, sharing the responsibility with me as Bishop for the vision of the church.
“Next, I want to get to meet the people and know as much of the Diocese as possible.
“It’s a little bit like an arranged marriage. First of all you have to get to know the one that you are going to be married to. Armidale didn’t choose me and I didn’t choose Armidale, someone chose us for each other, but we just have to get to know each other.
“The first few months will be a learning experience,” the Bishop-elect said.
He will look to the community to decide what he brings to his new role as Bishop.
“I will just bring myself and my own particular style and personality and will do the best with the mission entrusted to me.”
The new Bishop is hoping to bring a sense of community back to his new parishioners in Armidale.
“People who are Catholic are very happy and proud to be Catholics but we do have the situation that even though people do feel like that about their faith they don’t sense the urgency or need of fully participating in the life of the church.
“This is certainly a priority for me and one that any Bishop would have.”
